'Khajurbani victims got Rs 4L, why not Saran's...?': Sushil Modi clams Nitish Kumar

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sushil Modi has hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over compensation to the families of victims who died after consuming spurious liquor in Saran's Chhapra.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi said, "In 2018, as per media reports, CM Nitish Kumar said compensation will be given if liquor proved to be cause of death. He promised Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of hooch victims. In Khajurbani hooch tragedy, compensation was given to the victims' kin. Why not in Saran tragedy?"

The BJP MP also asserted that had it been his party it would have gone to any extent to give compensation to the families of the hooch tragedy victims.

"As per the Excise and Provision Act, Nitish Kumar will have to give compensation to families of Saran hooch tragedy victims and BJP will go to any extent for these people," added Sushil Modi.

Nitish Kumar's former deputy's comments came after last week the chief minister said that the families of those who had died after consuming spurious liquor would not receive compensation.

Nitish Kumar lost his cool and declared, "No compensation will be provided to people who die after consuming spurious liquor. If you drink, you will die."

A day after the toll was reported at 72, Bihar Excise Minister Sunil Kumar on Monday said that raids are being conducted at various places so that all accused and those not yet mentioned in FIR can be nabbed, especially the supplier and manufacturer.

"Raids being conducted at various places so that all accused & non-FIR accused can be nabbed, especially the supplier and manufacturer. As per evidence found so far, we're also awaiting postmortem report. We'll then take further action," said Bihar Excise Minister Sunil Kumar.

Sushil Modi also claimed that the family members of the victims in the Chapra hooch tragedy are performing their last rites without post-mortem due to "fear of the police".

He also accused the state government of hiding the actual number of deaths in the tragedy and claimed "more than 100 deaths".

"The death toll has crossed 100 but the government is hiding the numbers. Due to fear of the police, people are performing the last rites of their family members without a post-mortem," Sushil Modi said while addressing the reporters here.

Modi on Saturday met the families of those who lost their lives in the Chhapra hooch tragedy.

The Bihar government has suspended five policemen from the Chhapra district, which also reported five more deaths from Siwan.

Most deaths reportedly occurred over Wednesday and Thursday, evoking an uproar inside and outside the Bihar Assembly.

The Opposition, led by the BJP, took on the ruling JD(U)-RJD over the rising number of hooch deaths despite a ban on the sale and consumption of liquor in the state, which has been in effect since April 2016.

Amid severe criticism by the BJP leading the opposition, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday said that no compensation will be given if a person dies after consuming spurious liquor."No compensation will be provided to people who die after consuming spurious liquor. We have been appealing to you not to drink. If you drink, you will die. Those who speak against prohibition will not bring any good to the people," the Bihar CM said in the Assembly on Friday.

Meanwhile, taking a suo-moto cognizance in this matter, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Saturday said that it will depute its own team headed by one of its members for an on-the-spot inquiry in the wake of more deaths reported in other districts of Bihar in hooch tragedy.

The Commission said it is concerned to know where and what kind of medical treatment is being provided to these victims.

"Most of them are from poor families and probably cannot afford costly medical treatment in private hospitals therefore, it becomes extremely necessary on the part of the state government to provide them the best possible medical treatment wherever it is available," the NHRC said in a statement.

The Commission has noted that in April 2016, the Government of Bihar had banned the sale and consumption of liquor in the state, and therefore, such incidents indicated that it has not been able to stop the sale of illicit and spurious liquor.

(ANI)

Also Read: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeks discussion in parliament on J-K amid targetting of Kashmiri Pandits